July 1969 At Birmingham High School in Los Angeles my father thought I wasn’t studying hard enough and was wasting my time writing down and trying to predict the Boss 30 countdown every Wednesday night, I was obsessed with Boss Radio 93/KHJ! In July 1969 I attended Summer School for the first day, and that same day I also qualified and won that day’s car from the Maverick A Day contest with Charlie Tuna. My Dad told me when I got home that maybe this radio thing might work out for me 🙂 That’s me on the left and Charlie Tuna in the middle.
September 1972 Circular Magazine I had built an entire collection of Los Angeles radio surveys KHJ and before that KRLA/KFWB surveys back to the beginning of Top 40 radio in Los Angeles in 1958. From that, I calculated my Los Angeles Top 1000 songs of all time. My mother & her boyfriend set me up with an interview at Warner Brothers Records and wanted me to show my Top 1000 with Russ Shaw the head of A&R for Reprise/Warner Brothers in Los Angeles he called their head of publicity Pete Johnson. who helped write “The History of Rock and Roll” Rock Documentary. Pete decided to make their Monthly magazine about WB music, Circular, and make it all about my Top 1000. No one had ever had anything regarding music like that, published before. The following February my National Top 500 was in Rolling Stone Magazine. When RKO National Music coordinator Betty Breneman saw my WB Circular interviewed me and I got my first radio job in redoing the music at K-Earth during the Summer of 1973.
DECEMBER 1975, I CONTINUED AT K-EARTH DOING VARIOUS JOBS PART-TIME WHILE I WAS GETTING MY COLLEGE DEGREE FROM UCLA, TRAFFIC/CONTINUITY AS WELL AS MAKING PUBLIC APPEARANCES AS CAPTAIN K-EARTH IN SEPTEMBER 1975, I LEFT TO WORK AT BULLOCK’S AS HOUSEWARES ASST MGR FOR 9 MONTHS BUT WAS LUCKY ENOUGH IN JUNE 1976 ENOUGH TO BE ASKED BACK FULL-TIME IN TRAFFIC/CONTINUITY BY JOHN SQUYRES SALES MANAGER AT K-EARTH. FOR 1975, GM ALLAN CHLOWITZ CREATED AN AMAZING CALENDAR A PARODY OF SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEART CLUBS BAND…HERE I AM AS “RINGO” IN THE FRONT ROW NEXT TO MY GREAT FRIEND BRIAN MR. ROCK & ROLL BEIRNE.
The 1978 K-Earth played current music when Bob Hamilton was Program Director. WE BROKE A LOT OF MUSIC ESPECIALLY DISCO HITS. HERE IS DAN HARTMAN PRESENTING K-EARTH WITH A GOLD RECORD FOR “INSTANT REPLAY” DAN, BOB HAMILTON, LORI HOLDER, AND ME.
1979 K-Earth and RKO Radio had gotten a sneaked copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk 11 days earlier than Fleetwood Mac had officially planned to release it. Sadly Tusk and their next Live album never measured up to Rumours. Here I am in late 1979 as K-Earth MD, talking to Mick Fleetwood at the album release party trying to convince him to put then B Sides “Silver Springs” and “Landslide” on one of their next albums(Mick was never a fan of “Silver Springs” which irked Stevie Nicks to no end).
In 1982, I got my first chance to be a Program Director and a Vice President of Programming for RKO Paul Drew had told me that I would never be a PD in Los Angeles without learning the 1000s of radio basics (which I didn’t learn as a major market MD) Again I was blessed that Rick Phalen, Mike CutChall, and Dave Van Stone hired me at KRQQ Tucson in September 1981. Here is the KRQQ staff giving away a House. A picture is L to R Guy, Jeff Davis, Jim Bednarik, Paul Peterson, Scotty Johnson.
1984 Thanks to an introduction by legendary A&M VP of Promotion Charlie Minor to EZ Communications Dan Vallie/Tex Meyer, I became program director at my first major market job WBZZ Pittsburgh. We had an incredible staff including Quinn & Banana, Jeff Ballentine, Bruce Kelly, Troy Garrett Tank Sherman. Picture is Front Row L to R Linda Jamison Publicist, Guy, Bruce, Warner Rep, Asst. PD Scott Alexander.
1986 IN DECEMBER 1984 I WAS HIRED BACK FROM WBZZ TO PROGRAM KZZP PHOENIX AND HIRED BRUCE KELLY TO DO MORNINGS FROM MORNINGS AT WHTT/BOSTON. KZZP HAD DOUBLE-DIGIT RATINGS AND HIT #1 IN 1986. HERE WE ARE IN FRONT OF THE KZZP SIGN WITH PHOENIX RESIDENT ALICE COOPER ALONG WITH MIKE ELLIOTT, ALICE, BRUCE, ROB ICEMAN IZENBERG, ME, BILLY BRILL MCA RECORDS.
Spring 1988 We faced a 3 way CHR battle, and I made the decision to hire Consultant & Creative genius Jerry Clifton to help KZZP beat back Y95 and KKFR…Here we are brainstorming strategy in the KZZP Music Library MD Gene Baxter,AsstPD Todd Fisher, Jerry, Guy.
Fall 1988 We broke a tremendous amount of music at KZZP, I’ll boast that we had the best collection of music people in the history of radio during those 4 years working for us. Steve Goddard, Kevin Weatherly, Gene Baxter, Michelle Santosousso, Darcy Sanders, and Todd Fisher. Here we are getting an Platinum Record from Def Leppard pictured Mgr. Cliff Bernstein Def Leppard, Todd, Guy, David Leach, Del Williams.
1988 Warner Brothers brings David Lee Roth to the Gavin Convention Front Row Guy, Brian Thomas, Keren Woodward (Bananarama) David Lee Roth Second Row Sue Emmer (WB) Marc Driscoll, Ed Nuhfer (WB), Stu Cohen (WB).
The 1990 KHMX Hitmakers Cover-KHMX was the first official Hot AC station on July 4, 1990. Many had experimented with more adult-leaning Top 40 content, but Nationwide Communication’s KHMX Houston’s Mix 96.5 was the first Hot AC, and after its success, hundreds of Hot AC Mix stations were launched in America and around the world.
July 1991 Mix 96.5/KHMX Houston had a very talented airstaff, including Larry Morgan doing mornings, Paul Christy doing afternoons, and two future TV News personalities Susan Lennon/San Diego Dominique Sachse/Houston. We had incredible marketing director Joe Pogge who did a great job connecting us with the city of Houston. Here was a picture of us celebrating our first birthday party First Row Joe Pogge, Paul “Boomer” Rollins, Kurt Gilchrist, Bob Vance Second Row Leslie Bacero Brotamonte, JC Perez, Larry Morgan, Jennifer Tyler, Dominique Sachse, Third Row Sharon Adams, Geno Pearson, Me.
1992 A MAJOR REASON I’M IN THIS BUSINESS IS BECAUSE OF MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MUSIC. WHEN I THINK OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY THE FIRST NAME THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE LEGENDARY CHARLIE MINOR WHO I KNEW WHEN HE WAS AT A&M, VIRGIN. IN THIS PICTURE HE WAS WORKING FOR IRVING AZOFF’S GIANT RECORDS WHICH PERFECTLY DESCRIBES HIS PRESENCE IN OUR INDUSTRY. HE WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLY FUN, FUNNY, AND KIND MAN WHO LOVED PEOPLE AND CARED ABOUT SO MANY OF US IN THE BUSINESS. HE MADE THE RADIO & RECORD BUSINESS SO MUCH FUN AND MADE ME LOVE IT EVEN MORE. HE MENTORED SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE MUSIC AND RADIO BUSINESS, ME INCLUDED. CHARLIE AND I HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP AND HE HELPED ME GET MY FIRST MAJOR MARKET JOB AT WBZZ PITTSBURGH WHEN HE RECOMMENDED ME TO DAN VALLIE AND TEX MEYER. HE RESPECTED MY EAR FOR MUSIC AND LISTENED WHEN I ASKED HIM TO RE-RELEASE TWO SONGS THAT DIDN’T GET THE LOVE THEY DESERVED THE FIRST TIME, HEAVEN BY BRYAN ADAMS AND UB40’S RED RED WINE. HE REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT WONDERFUL TIME IN OUR BUSINESS. GOD, I MISS THIS GUY! GIANT’S SHARON LAPERE, CHARLIE MINOR, GUY.
1994 Michael Bolton Listening Party at R&R Convention Featuring many of industry’s best
Front Row John Ivey(3rd from the left Michael Bolton
2nd Row Greg Strassell Guy Zapoleon, Mason Dixon, Burt Baumgartner, Alan Burns, Annette Lai, David Foreman
3rd Row Bill Richards, Steve Kingston, Dave Sholin, Howard Rosen
Back Row Mike McVay, Joel Folger, Jerry Lembo Mike Kinosian, Bobby Rich.
1996 ZAPOLEON MEDIA STRATEGIES TEAM: PROUD THAT WE WON CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR FOR TOP 40 AND AC/HOT AC FOR 9 YEARS IN A ROW. WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF PROGRAMMING MINDS, WITH THE FOLLOWING TEAM BEGINNING 1993 WITH MY FIRST PARTNERS, STEVE PERUN THEN JEFF SCOTT, BILL RICHARDS AND LATER PAT PAXTON AND LORRIN PALAGI, JOHN CLAY, STEVE WYROSTOK, CHRIS STAIGER, GUY ZAPOLEON, MARK ST JOHN, STEVE DAVIS, VICKY MOUCH, AND JIMMY MOUCH.
1998 I only got to take 1 picture with a favorite mentor, Paul Drew, legendary programmer VP of programming for RKO Radio, which was the gold standard of Top40 radio back in the 60s and 70s including KFRC, WRKO 99X, and KHJ & CKLW which Paul Drew programmed. He mentored a ton of programmers including Jerry Clifton, Charlie Van Dyke, and personalities like Rick Dees and Dr. Don Rose. Left to right Dick Springfield(Research Group) Steve Streit(AMFM) Steve Rivers(legendary programmer and VP of AMFM), Paul Drew, me, Steve Davis(my partner at Zapoleon Media Strategies), Harold Austin(Broadcast Architecture).
1998 My Zapoleon Media Strategies partner Steve Davis and I were consulting award winning Hot AC KS95/KSTP Minneapolis with my buddy then KS95’s PD and future GM Todd Fisher and Hubbard Radio’s Chair and incredible broadcaster Ginny Morris, two of the nicest people on the planet.
In 1999, KZZP REUNION AT THE BILLBOARD CONVENTION/PHOENIX. A LOT OF INCREDIBLE PEOPLE FORMED THE KZZP TEAM HERE FROM 1985 TO 1989 INCLUDING JIMMY KIMMEL(WHO STARTED AS A MEMBER OF THE MIKE & KENT AFTERNOON SHOW WHILE AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY) TOP ROW KEVIN RYDER CAREY EDWARDS, PAUL TALBOT, KATHY HANSON, ANDY STARR, CLARKE INGRAM ROW2 JOHN CLAY, JOHN MICHAEL ELLIOTT, KENT VOSS, JIMMY KIMMEL, MARK DAVIS, BILL PHALEN, RIE WALSH, MIKE “MADDOG” MADIGAN, SUSAN KARIS, ANGELA COBB, DENISE KOTULA, VALERIE KNIGHT, TOM KELLY, GUY ZAPOLEON, MICHELLE SANTOSOUSSO FRONT ROW SUSIE SABEL JUDY DRAGON, STEVE GROSZ, ROB ICEMAN IZENBERG, GINGER WALTON, BRUCE KELLY, and ALEX SANTAMARIA.
2007 Steve Davis and I consulted several stations in Europe and Australia with Zapoleon Media Strategies. Here we are at the 2007 NAB European Radio Conference in Barcelona with Sam Zneiber, Liam Thompson, Tom Poleman Ginny Poleman, Strategic Radio Solution’s Hal Rood & Kevin Cassidy, Steve, Me, Larry Bruce.
2008 WAPE/JACKSONVILLE RATING CELEBRATION WITH GUY ZAPOLEON, JEREMY RICE COX VP), JEFF MCCARTNEY, RANDY KABRICH(COX CONSULTANT), MARK ST. JOHN (ZAPOLEON MEDIA STRATEGIES), TONY MANN, AND CAT THOMAS.
2015 October dinner iHeart Media & The Coleman Insights team Left To Right Sam Milkman, Chris Ackerman, Warren Kurtzman, John Boyne, Greg Strassell(SVP Strategic Services, Guy Zapoleon, Jon Coleman, & Maynard(SVP Programming iHeartMedia).
VERY PROUD OF MY TIME WITH IHEARTMEDIA BEGINNING AS CONSULTANT THEN VP OF DIGITAL MUSIC FOR IHEARTRADIO IN 2010-2012, SVP OF PROGRAMMING RESEARCH & STRATEGY 2013-2018, IHEART CONSULTANT 2019-2020 WORKING WITH TOM POLEMAN, BRAD HARDIN, MARC CHASE. I’VE DESCRIBED IHEARTMEDIA AS THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF RADIO MINDS I’VE EVER SEEN ASSEMBLED IN ONE COMPANY. HERE IS OUR TEAM WORKING ON A NEW STATION STRATEGY FOR Y100/ WHYI IN MIAMI GENE ROMANO(EVPP), ME, ROB MILLER(WKTU), TOM POLEMAN(CHIEF PROGRAMMING OFFICER, ALEX TEAR(Y100), GREG STRASSEL (SVP STRATEGIC SERVICES), ERIK TOMLIN( VICE PRESIDENT NATIONAL CONTESTING/PROMOTIONS).
